A new audit found that half of the people enrolled in the Illinois Medicaid program were not even eligible.

The study found that nearly approximately 357,000 of 712,000 registrants should not have received benefits, according to KMOV.com.

The findings were not that bad, the state insisted. But Medicaid is on the federal government’s list of programs at higher possibility of waste and abuse.

The study of the Illinois Medicaid program, which was ordered more than a year ago, confirms large waste and fraud. After more examination, the state decided that people who were not eligible was actually about 25 percent.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

"It says that we've had a system that is dysfunctional," said Senator Bill Haines of Alton.

KMOV.com reported a state spokesman insisting that the percentage of ineligible enrollees will continue to dramatically decrease as the study continues due to the beginning of the process focused on people that were most likely to be ineligible for those benefits. No matter how it ends, however, critics say it is proof that Illinois is failing to protect tax payers’ money.

“Illinois one of the most miss-managed states in country-- lists of reasons-- findings shouldn't surprise anyone,” said Ted Dabrowski, a vice president of The Illinois Policy Institute think tank.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

Dabrowski told News 4 in an interview via Skype video that the Medicaid study discovered two out of three people either received the wrong benefits, or did not deserve any at all.

“We added so many people to medicaid rolls so quickly, we've lost control of who belongs there,” says Dabrowski.

"So, we've got to get these rolls cut to those who are qualified as they promised,” said Senator Haines.

Even though reviewers have only studied the cases for one out of ever four people getting Medicaid in Illinois, the state has reportedly already dropped 176,000 recipients from the program.